In the early months of 2016, the government will make official its decision to renew the Trident missile nuclear weapons system on a like-for-like basis. As we have reported during the year, the decision has already effectively been made: tens of millions of pounds of tax-payer money has already been spent on the programme in advance of the official decision in 2016, making a mockery of the democratic process which should rigidly be applied to a decision of such national and global importance as one relating to the renewal of a programme of weapons of mass destruction. The cost of this policy is astronomic, the consequences of using the weapons would be globally catastrophic and the entire enterprise is illegal: the UK is perpetuating a policy which makes it a pariah state for no good purpose.

But the recent general election has changed things. Westminster now accommodates 56 Scottish Nationalist MPs, 8 Democratic Unionists, 3 Plaid Cymru, 3 Social Democratic and Labour Party and 1 Green MP. The new intake of Labour and Tory MPs includes several who are ambivalent or directly opposed to Trident and to nuclear weapons. Many are therefore still 'soft' on the issue and have not yet been 'whipped' by the Party line. They, and others in their respective parties, are now of great interest to the peace and disarmament movement and NIS, along with the broader peace and disarmament movement will do our best to influence them and, through them, the 2016 decision on replacing Trident.

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